Pakistan National Institute of Defensive Driving

Head-on collisions are the most dangerous kind of accidents. The majority of these collisions could have been prevented using defensive driving techniques. Take a moment to read these tips on avoiding collisions— they could save your life.

Reduce Risk With Safe Driving
Once you get into a collision situation, the options are few and dangerous. But you can increase your chances of avoiding a collision by following a few safe driving tips:

Only drive when you are alert and sober.

Scan the road ahead for hazards. Look as far as the next hill or curve, or the next two corners in cities. This way, you have more time to get out of the way of an approaching hazard.

Stay well centred in your lane, where oncoming traffic is less likely to stray, and where you can get to the shoulder or side of the road more quickly.

Obey speed limits. You will have more time to react to a hazard, and should a collision occur, it will not be as damaging at a lower speed.

When a Vehicle Is in Your Lane
If an oncoming vehicle veers into your lane for any reason, slow down left away. Be prepared to stop or drive off the road. Remember that driving into a ditch is far less dangerous than driving into a head-on collision.

When a Collision Is About to Happen
Remember these principles in case you need to make split-second decisions to avoid a head-on collision:

• Always drive to the left to get out of the way, since the driver of the other vehicle is likely to move back into his or her lane after recovering control.
• Maintain speed and keep two wheels on the pavement for stability. Only drive with all four wheels on the shoulder if absolutely necessary to avoid a collision. Once two wheels or all four wheels are off road, do not attempt to come back on road at speed. In fact slow down and come back on road very slowly
• If the choice is between a head- on and hitting a fixed object such as a tree or utility pole, it’s always safer to hit the fixed object, which has no momentum of its own.
• If you must hit an object or oncoming vehicle, aim as far to the left as possible, where the collision forces are much less intense.